Field of the Invention
The field of the invention relates generally to the field of composite structures used for bridges and other engineered structures which are intended for use in roadways, bridges, and other structures generally. More specifically, the invention relates to a composite structure for use in engineered structures such as, for example but not limited to, bridge and other roadway decking and support structures, ramps, dock decking and support structures, vehicle chassis and structures, trailer chassis and structures, and virtually any application which requires structural components; and an efficient method of fabricating same.
Background Art
The background art of engineered structures for structural panels used, for example, in bridges; bridge roadway decking; general roadway structures; commercial construction such as floors, walls, and roofs; and other structures typically relies upon concrete or cement fabrication techniques, including pre-stressed cement structures, tilt wall, poured-in-place, pre-fabricated or other similar concrete or cement structures. Such cement or concrete structures may be prefabricated and shipped to the construction site or may be formed and poured in situ.
However the cement and/or concrete structures of the prior art do not easily or economically lend themselves to methods for rapid manufacturing, nor are they easily inspected for manufacturing flaws or defects during fabrication. For example, a bridge structure may, over time, develop localized points of failure within the structure that are not visible for visual inspection, leading to failure propagation and eventual unexpected catastrophic failure of the structure. Such structures may contain undetectable flaws which may lay in a latent condition for a period of years without discovery, causing severe damage or injury when they are finally subjected to a load of enough magnitude to cause failure—which can occur, for example, during a temperature extreme condition such as extreme cold, while supporting a high traffic load.
Furthermore, such structures, when pre-fabricated, are of such weight and volume that transport costs can be extremely high.
What is needed in the art, therefore, is an economically and easily fabricated structure for use in applications such as, for example, bridge decking, which may be inspected at various stages of fabrication to identify flaws and defects before such structures are assembled into use, and which lends itself to efficient, repeatable production procedures and techniques.